Baseball '25

[Lobot]

In addition, Kerrington Cross was announced as a Semifinalist for the Golden Spikes award which goes to the top amateur baseball player in the country.

[swilsonsp4]

It took the entire show, but the Bearcats are in. At Knoxville versus Wake Forest. The Vols get Miami U. Openers are on Friday; times TBA.

At first perusal, it appears that the Mousketeers are the highest ranked RPI team to be left out (#39). They played the #4 OOC schedule but also were saddled with being in the weak BE.

Thirteen SEC schools are in, along with eight from the B12 and nine from the ACC. With 31 automatic bids, that left 33 at-large opportunities. Of those, 27 are from these three conferences.

Each team is guaranteed to play at least twice.

[swilsonsp4]

The NCAA announced the 16 subregional pod hosts. While the order isn't exact to the RPI, it's really close, with 15 of the top 16 hosting. The only outlier is #19 Southern Miss in place of #13 Bama.

Eight of the 16 hosts are SEC schools, with three from the ACC, two B1G (uh, sure, OR & UCLA are in the B1G). No B12 schools will have the honor.

As a side positive, there is zero chance that tO$U will make the field. In fact, the Buckeyes are so bad that they are the lowest ranked team among the power conferences (#231 of 307 D1 teams).

Eleven of the 16 are east of the Mississippi. The closest geographically to UC is TN, followed by Vandy. I can't go, but maybe the Cats will head down to Conway, SC, where Coastal will host. The campus is only a few miles from the beach.

[swilsonsp4]

Tonight's B12 title game was a pitcher's duel from the start. TCU scored in the bottom of the first, but that was it throughout the game ... until AZ homered with 2 outs in the top of the 9th. In the 10th, the Wildcats scored again and took the championship in their inaugural season in the conference, 2-1.

Both teams will make the field easily, probably as #2 seeds in whichever pods they end up. The Bearcats are considered as a likely #3 seed. As I write, UC are #33 in RPI, as computed by Warren Nolan.

[swilsonsp4]

The top four seeds all advanced to the semifinals. Yesterday, both games were blowouts. First, AZ took WV apart, 12-1. Then last night, TCU blasted KU in 8 innings, 11-1.

The Wildcats and Frogs will play for the B12 title tonight at 7:00 on ESPNU/ESPN+.

[swilsonsp4]

Adam Buczkowski had a rough 4th inning. He hit the first batter, walked 2, then gave up an RBI infield hit. After recording an out, a 108 MPH one-hopper hit him in the nose, allowing a run to score, and he was escorted off. The bases remain loaded, with the score WV 3-1.

End 4: 5-1.

Mid 5: WV 5-3. A run scored on a Cross DP grounder, followed by a Jack Natili HR to LF.

End 6: Getting away from UC. 8-3.

End 7: 10-3.

Mid 8: Still 10-3. Jack Natili 4-for-4. The Mountaineer starter was still in. He threw 117 pitches. Aside from saving the bullpen, that doesn't make any sense in a 10-3 game.

F: 10-3. So, we wait for the NCAA selection show (Monday, noon ET). The Bearcats should be in good shape to get a nod.

[swilsonsp4]

The Cats got off to a quick start today, with Kerrington Cross coaxing a leadoff walk and Jack Natili drilling a 2B down the LF line to score Cross. After 2 innings, it's UC 1, WV 0.

[bearcatbret]

Here is the wrap from our homeboys. Cincinnati Defeats Texas Tech, 6-5, to Advance in Big 12 Championship - University of Cincinnati Athletics

[swilsonsp4]

F: 6-5. It got dicey. With 2 outs, a TTU hitter hit a grounder deep behind 3B. Kerrington Cross threw a one-hopper to 1B, but the batter-runner beat the throw. The next hitter, one of the B12 leaders in RBI, drove a ball to deep LF that Cal Sefcik caught in front of the wall.

The Bearcats will face the Mountaineers tomorrow at 1:30. That game will be streamed on ESPN+.

[swilsonsp4]

E 8: 6-5. It's now or never.

[swilsonsp4]

M 8: 6-5. Leadoff BB, RBI 2B, WP, RBI 1B.

[swilsonsp4]

B 7: Quinton Coats just launched one 431' to LCF. 6-3.

[swilsonsp4]

M 7: 5-3. 2-out RBI 2B. Nathan Taylor well over 100 pitches. He has to be done for the day.

[swilsonsp4]

E 6: 5-2. Kerrington Cross hit a routine grounder to 3B with 2 outs and a runner at 3B. The throw was high, resulting in an unearned run.

[swilsonsp4]

M 6: 4-2. Long bomb to LCF.